Innovation at Penn

Penn prides itself in fostering a spirit of innovation across campus and beyond. From business plan competitions to the development of research parks and facilities, Penn offers a vibrant environment for industry, entrepreneurs, and researchers to connect and collaborate.

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Explore how innovation born at Penn benefits society through our collection of stories

Innovation & Entrepreneurship Resources at Penn

Featured Story

Carbon Nanotubes for the Masses: Charlie Johnson

One of the most incredible scientific innovations of the past several decades is the carbon nanotube, an incredibly tiny structure with properties and applications that are just beginning to be realized. Penn physics and astronomy professor A.T. Charlie Johnson is one of the pioneers. As director of Penn’s Nano/Bio Interface Center, his work is crossing traditional boundaries between physics and biology to invent new uses for carbon nanotubes and for graphene, the single-atom-thick sheet of carbon that forms the walls of nanotubes.

The great strength and sensitive electrical characteristics of carbon atoms in nanotubes and graphene give them uniquely versatile potential. “The big picture is integrating nanotechnology with biology,” Johnson says. He’s doing that in various ways, among them creating a working interface between the olfactory receptor proteins that give us our sense of smell and a transistor composed of carbon nanotubes, resulting in a device that can detect the chemical signals of drugs and even disease with the extreme sensitivity of a dog’s nose. Other carbon nanotube-based devices designed by Johnson and his research team were able to detect the Lyme disease protein, providing a highly sensitive and precise diagnostic tool.

Johnson has also developed a more efficient and economical method of making graphene sheets, bringing their commercial potential closer to practical realization. His UPstart company, Graphene Frontiers, is working steadily toward the goal of manufacturing graphene in large quantities for industrial applications, helped by a recent $744,600 grant from the National Science Foundation.